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Tarr-Young Preserve

This a mostly steeply-sloping 15.6 acre, L-shaped property in the Town of Caroline at the southeastern extent of the county, south of the West Branch of Owego Creek. The aspect is north-facing. The base of the slope and the floodplain have a history of uses that include clearing for agriculture, roads, and buildings. As a result, there is a small area of younger, more disturbed vegetation which is partly on the Cornell preserve. The forested lower slope is dominated by hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Some are quite large and ancient. Above the hemlocks, is a band of beech-maple forest that shows some evidence of past disturbance, where the trees are a bit smaller. The majority of the tract is on the very steep upper slope where there is high-quality mature-to-old-growth forest strongly dominated by sugar maple (Acer saccharum). White pine (Pinus strobus) and hemlock are also present. Strong winds brought down a number of big trees, probably about 25 years ago, making the forest more open and shrubby in places.

History

This area was acquired in 1942 by the Cornell Univeristy Athletic Association, a private corporation associated with the Athletics and Physical Education Department of the university, for rock climbing use. Around the same time, CUAA also purchased a much larger parcel, southeast of the corner Speed Hill Road and Route 79, (about four miles west of the preserve) and developed it as a downhill ski slope. Both properties were then referred to by the name Tarr-Young Recreation Area.
Apparently this property was never developed, or actively used for rock climbing. It was deeded to the university in 1973, and assigned to Plantations for management as a natural area in 2000.